FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where are you located?
We are located in Payson, Arizona, about 1 ½ hour North East of Phoenix. We are nestled below the Mogollon Rim in the beautiful Tonto National Forest. Whether you’re planning a family portrait, a senior session, or a destination wedding, our area offers gorgeous backgrounds that will complement your memorable moment.
What will the investment be?
I offer three portrait collections designed around the overall experience, session length, and amount of variety you would like from your portraits. Collections begin at $790 and include a guided portrait experience, curated digital images, and an artwork credit to begin creating beautiful pieces for your home.
Most clients choose the Signature or Heirloom collections and invest between $900 and $2,000 on their portrait experience, wall art, albums, gift prints, and specialty items. You are never required to purchase more than your collection, but many clients fall in love with additional images and artwork after seeing their portraits.
What does the session fee include?
Your collection includes the creative time for your portrait session, along with the portrait design consultation, professional retouching, and your in-person reveal and ordering appointment. Travel within 100 miles of Payson is also included, allowing us access to a wide variety of beautiful locations for your session.
Collections include a curated selection of digital images and an artwork credit that may be applied toward wall art, albums, and printed products.
Collections are paid at the time of booking to reserve your session date and are non-refundable, as your appointment time is set aside especially for you. Sessions may be rescheduled due to illness or inclement weather with no penalty.
How long does a portrait session usually take?
Session length varies depending on the collection you choose and the type of session we are creating. The Keepsake collection includes up to a 1-hour session, the Signature collection includes up to 2 hours, and the Heirloom collection includes an extended 2.5–3 hour experience for additional variety, locations, and creativity.
During family sessions, we capture a variety of images including the full family, individual portraits of the children, and portraits of Mom and Dad together. Larger families may also include additional family groupings.
Senior sessions often include multiple outfits and may incorporate more than one location, which can add additional variety and storytelling to your portraits.
Do you offer in-studio sessions?
For family and senior sessions, I do not offer in-studio sessions; I am an on-location photographer. I have a mobile studio with professional lighting and backdrops; I can come to your space to do studio-type portraits. Executive headshots can be done at your office or my home. Please inquire about this type of service.
What should I wear?
We want your clothing to be comfortable, timeless – not too trendy, and coordinate with your home and chosen location. We have created a style guide to help you prepare for your session. Once the session is booked, we will email you a copy. During our complimentary portrait design consultation, we will go over outfits, coordinating colors, and accessory recommendations that will give a polished look to your images.
How do I book my session?
You can fill out the contact form on my website, send me an email, or give me a call. At this time, I’ll answer any questions you may have, talk about your vision and pricing. After we speak and have determined we are a good match, we will get your session scheduled. Your session date is reserved once the portrait agreement and payment are received.
I work with a limited number of clients each month; I give every family or person personalized service and attention. Session dates are often reserved many weeks or even months in advance. Reservations are on a first-come basis. At certain times of the year, sessions are in high demand, such as fall. Session dates can be held for 48 hours and will only be reserved once payment is received. After 48 hours, the spot will be made available again for others to book.
Once I book my session, what happens next?
After you have selected your session date and payment has been made, you will receive an email with information about your session, a payment receipt, and a portrait guide, along with our styling guide. About two weeks or so before your session, we will have the pre-session design consultation. At this time, we will discuss your clothing, accessories that will compliment your outfits, and the location where we will be doing the session. We will go over what type of products you are interested in and where your art will be displayed. This is a great time to get to know each other and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
We had our session. When do I get to see my portraits and place an order?
About 1-2 weeks after our session, we will meet for your in-person viewing and order session in the comfort of your home or at my home studio. This is where you will finalize your portrait order. All the decision-makers must be there. During our time together, we will go through the professionally edited images from your session, select your favorites, review the options for wall portraits, albums and gift prints, etc. I will help guide you through the process, collaborate and provide expert recommendations on ways to display your images.
Orders are placed during the viewing and ordering session, and all decision-makers should be present. Payment plans are available if needed.
Can I purchase the digital files from my session?
Yes! Each portrait collection includes a curated selection of digital images, with the option to purchase additional digital files if desired. Additional images are available in bundled collections or as individual files. All digital images are delivered in an online gallery and are suitable for printing up to 8x10 for personal use and social sharing.
While digital images are wonderful for sharing, I strongly believe your portraits should be enjoyed beyond a screen. Professionally printed artwork allows your images to become part of your home and your family’s story for generations to come.
My professional print labs provide exceptional color, quality, and longevity that cannot always be guaranteed through consumer labs. With professionally crafted wall art, albums, and printed products, your portraits are designed to be enjoyed every day rather than stored away on a device or hard drive.
What if I need to reschedule my session or we have bad weather the day of our session?
We understand life happens, and some circumstances may require the session to be rescheduled. We appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to reschedule; however, we do understand that if you or someone else wakes up sick, we definitely don’t want to proceed with portraits until you are feeling 100%.
Since our sessions are outside on location, we check the weather days in advance of the session. If it looks like it may rain or be very windy, we will reschedule the session. Wind and hair are not pleasant to deal with, and we want you to look your absolute best and not fight wind or other adverse weather conditions.
How are your albums different from something I would create on my own?
We custom design all our albums, making them professional while keeping them personal for your family, high school/college senior, or wedding. Our album pages are made of high-quality thick photographic paper instead of magazine-type paper that is easily damaged. The albums have lay-flat pages, so there is no gap, which allows us to incorporate full spread images. All our albums are archival for over 100+ years with proper care and handcrafted in America. We do all of the design work for you and make changes as needed from your feedback.
Do you accept payments?
We understand that the experience of hiring a professional photographer to create portraits for your family is an investment, so we can offer payment plans. Please note that final payment must be made before the delivery of the product.
Do you take credit cards?
Yes, we take Visa, Mastercard and Discover